On Sept. 18, 2015, Pittsburgh rapper Mac Miller released his newest album GO:OD AM. This is his first major label debut, having released two previous records: Blue Slide Park in 2011 and Watching Movies With The Sound Off in 2013, both through Rostrum Records. He left Rostrum in January 2014 and signed with Warner Bros. Records in October of that year with a $10 million contract.

Mac Miller is not the same “Easy Mac/With the cheesy raps” as mentioned in Watching Movies With The Sound Off track “Red Dot Music” that emerged in 2007. Since the release of his mixtape, Macadelic in 2012, he has grown into a rapper whose words have actual meaning rather than the young boy that would talk about tattoos, snapbacks, and girls. In Macadelic he began his transition into a more poetic rapper. Watching Movies With the Sound Off seemed experimental, taking the opportunity to put out songs that seemed more self-reflective than his projects before, while simultaneously putting out a few songs that were reminiscent of the old Mac, with a new age twist to it. His following mixtape Faces advanced the psychedelic hip hop vibes with the incorporation of a jazz influence, mainly produced by Mac himself, additionally providing superb lyricism to accompany it.

GO:OD AM, a stylized form of the greeting ‘good morning,’ marks a new era in Mac Miller’s life. It marks a new beginning; he is past the days of promethazine and codeine addiction. The album kicks off with “Doors,” having a light, dreamy melody on which he sings over that sets the tone for the rest of the album. The alarm ringing in the beginning of the joyous track “Brand Name” seems to be celebrating his new persona. “Perfect Circle / God Speed” reveals to us a man that recalls the struggles of his life and acknowledges he’s grown due to his mistakes. “Cut the Check” and “When in Rome” are two of the more fast paced and hype songs.

Mac Miller has successively put out projects that top its predecessors every time, coinciding with his growth into a more mature person over time. In addition to the notable features on this album – Chief Keef, Miguel, Lil B, Ab-Soul and Little Dragon – the production quality was also exceptional, with songs produced by Tyler the Creator, Sounwave, and his longtime producer ID Labs. Miller’s lyricism in this album tops that of Faces, hitting us with several double entendres and fascinating wordplay. Mac Miller’s two and a half years of dedication to this album has resulted in an absolute masterpiece that’s definitely worth giving a listen to.